China: Power and environmental issues, options, and opportunities. Final report
- Energy Technologies Enterprises Corp., Washington, DC (United States)
China`s population currently exceeds 1.2 billion people and is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2020. Coal dominates the Chinese Energy Sector with production at 1.4 billion tons in 1996. However, power plants account for only 30% of coal consumption. Industrial boilers use 30%, industrial furnaces and kilns use 20%, and the remainder is mostly for residential use. From 1980 to 1995, power generation grew at an annual average rat of 10%. In 1996 China`s installed capacity was 236 GW and about 75% of it was coal-based. China will probably become the world`s largest emitter of CO{sub 2} early in the next century. The objectives were to assess China`s historical, current and projected power sector supply and demand; to examine the institutions, recent reforms, environmental issues and regulations, and to review their implications concerning technology selection. Based on their investigation, the project team determined: (1) the infrastructure investments needed to support the projected rapid growth and transformation of China`s energy sector is unprecedented, despite the need to overcome many obstacles, these challenges present good opportunities for foreign investors and technology-based institutions such as EPRI; (2) while coal will continue to play an important role, China will also use other resources such as hydroelectricity, nuclear, renewables and natural gas (domestic and imported); (3) more environmentally benign coal technologies are necessary if coal is to continue its key role; and (4) the build-own-transfer (BOT) law of 1996 has opened the way for foreign investors to participate in China`s expanding energy market.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Energy Technologies Enterprises Corp., Washington, DC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 354849
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-111328; TRN: AHC29924%%53
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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